Official Synopsis:
Lost & Found: SNL In The 80’s –

Following the departure of the show's original cast and creator after five seasons, SNL in the 80's is a look back at a decade of turbulent, often uncertain times that included the hiring and firing of several casts, numerous writers, producers and ultimately the revitalization of the show with the return of executive producer Lorne Michaels. Documentary filmmaker Kenneth Bowser juxtaposes 80's musical acts from the show to illustrate the mood of the times with interviews and stories from SNL alumni Billy Crystal, Martin Short, Gilbert Gottfried, Jim Belushi, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Al Franken, Kevin Nealon, Nora Dunn, Jon Lovitz, Dana Carvey, Robert Smigel, and Conan O'Brien to give you a first-hand look at the highs and lows that occurred behind the scenes. SNL in the 80's also features rare performances by artists James Brown, Queen, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Bonnie Raitt, Roy Orbison, Elvis Costello, Harry Connick, Jr., Don Henley and The Kinks as well as interviews and footage that have never been seen before!

SNL: Best of ‘06/’07 -

After more than three decades, Saturday Night Live continues to find and cultivate new talent to remain the pinnacle in late-night sketch comedy. One of the longest-running network shows in television history, SNL's impact on pop-culture and political humor is just as relevant today as when it premiered on October 11, 1975. Enjoy some of the best sketches from the 2006-07 season including "A-Holes" Jason Sudeikis and Kristen Wiig, Darrell Hammond's impression of Donald Trump, Amy Poehler and Maya Rudolph in "Bronx Beat" and SNL Digital Short "D**k in a Box" featuring Andy Samberg and Justin Timberlake. The 2006-07 season also included some hilarious performances from hosts Alec Baldwin, Dane Cook, Jake Gyllenhaal, Hugh Laurie, Matthew Fox, Ludacris, former cast member Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Super Bowl champion Peyton Manning in a very special public service announcement. Check out the additional Special Features available exclusively on this DVD such as Audio Commentary from the SNL cast and writers, two Never-Before Seen Sketches that were cut after dress rehearsal, as well as the Funniest Outtakes from "Weekend Update" with co-anchors Seth Meyers and Amy Poehler.

Our Take:
It’s easy to look at Saturday Night Live and say, “Man, it’s just not as good as it used to be.” I said it back in the early 2000’s, after all the players I watched in the 90’s moved on, and I think anyone who watches the show has probably said it after they stopped watching it regularly. Viewers in the 80’s probably thought it wasn’t as good as it was in the 70s; viewers in the 90s probably thought it wasn’t as good as it was in the 80s. And I know that viewers today don’t think it’s as good as it was back in the 90s. But the show keeps plugging on, and there is a reason for that.

It’s easy to dismiss the new material the show’s putting out, but it’s actually not all that bad. Is it as funny to me as it used to be? No. Was it ever 100% funny all the time? No again. Even when I watched the show religiously, the last half hour was always filled with crappy sketches, and it was always hit or miss, no matter what decade you were watching it in. For every brilliant sketch Chevy Chase and Gilda Radner did, someone else was putting one on that wasn’t as funny.

Universal now brings out two DVD’s that will do a pretty good job of making you want to watch the show again. The first is SNL: The Best of 06/07, which includes the massive internet hit “D—k In A Box.” By culling 90 minutes worth of the best sketches from the season, the DVD does make a pretty good argument that there is still a lot of funny left on the SNL stage. There are also a few bonus features on the disc that are also extremely enjoyable. They are:

* Audio Commentary from the SNL Cast and Writers.
* Two Never-Before-Seen Sketches. – Maybe these were cut for a reason.
* Funniest Outtakes from "Weekend Update." – This one will have you laughing out loud, guaranteed.

The second release is Lost & Found: SNL in the 80’s, which is a terrific documentary that takes a look at the show’s phenomenal decade that launched the careers of Mike Myers, Phil Hartman, Dana Carvey, Kevin Nealon, Jon Lovitz, and even Conan O’Brien. There are tons of interviews with cast members from the time, and you get a feel for what made those years so special and how the performers involved became such a part of pop culture.

As for extra features, there’s another mini-documentary included that’s nearly an hour long, and it delves even deeper into the 80s to discuss other topics of note. Both of the films are extremely interesting and entertaining, and while it does make you long for the “good old days,” Lost & Found: SNL in the 80’s is a great film on its own, even if you weren’t a big fan of the show during that time.

Saturday Night Live may be past its prime, but I imagine that the people watching it today who are the age I was when I was watching in the 80s and 90s probably think it’s the funniest thing on TV. Whether you want to relive the show’s heyday or embrace the newest material, SNL: Best of 06/07 and Lost & Found: SNL in the 80’s are both terrific DVDs.

RECOMMENDED!

Overall Picture:
Shows: B+
DVDs: B

- Mike Spring
Editor